NBPTS Exceptional Needs Specialist Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep Resource

The concrete operational stage is a critical period in cognitive development, typically occurring between the ages of 7 and 11. During this stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events and develop a better understanding of the concept of conservation, which refers to the realization that quantity does not change even when its shape does.

In mathematics, this means that children start to understand and manipulate numbers and can grasp the relationships between them. They move beyond the intuitive and egocentric thinking characteristic of the preoperational stage, instead using logical reasoning to solve problems related to physical objects and real-world scenarios. This stage marks a significant advance in cognitive capabilities, enabling children to classify objects, perform arithmetic operations, and understand the concept of reversibility in operations.

Children in the concrete operational stage are also better at organizing their thoughts and understanding the principles behind mathematical operations, rather than merely memorizing facts. This ability to logically reason about tangible objects and situations is foundational for later mathematical thinking, which continues to evolve as they enter the formal operational stage characterized by abstract and systematic thinking.